Integrated Welding Process

The Roll Forming cost model supports the following welding processes, which, if present, are integrated into the production line:

  • Integrated HFI Welding: also known as high frequency induction welding, this is a  resistance welding process that is commonly used for roll-formed pipes.

  • Integrated Laser Welding: uses a laser beam.

  • Integrated Rotary Spot Welding: spot welder with rotary welding head. (Material cannot be aluminum or copper.)

  • Integrated TIG Welding: arc welding process that uses a tungsten electrode protected by inert gas.

aPriori analyzes the cross-section geometry of a roll-formed part in order to determine whether the part requires inline seam welding. If the part cross-section forms one or more closed figures, aPriori assumes by default that inline seam welding is required. The CrossSection GCD property Number of Openings indicates the number of closed figures formed by the part cross-section.

By default in starting point Digital Factories, when welding is required, aPriori assumes the use of Integrated HFI Welding. Administrators can customize the default inline welding process by doing one of the following:

  • Set the cost model variable autoIncludeIntegratedWeldingProcess to one of the processes listed above.

  • Set the cost model variable autoIncludeIntegratedWeldingProcess to None, to disable automatic inclusion of integrated welding.

Users can override the default on a per-part basis with the setup option Integrated Welding Process (defined on the Roll Forming - Coil node in the Process Options Editor). Select another welding process or None.

Note: You can disable default automatic inclusion of integrated welding by setting the cost model variable autoIncludeIntegratedWeldingProcess to None. You can disable automatic inclusion of integrated welding on a per-part basis by setting the setup option Integrated Welding Process to None.

Note: You can manually include a welding process if desired, if one is not auto-included in the routing.